Oxidative stress as a common mediator for apoptosis induced-cardiac damage in diabetic rats.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the possible role of oxidative stress as a common mediator of apoptosis and cardiac damage in diabetes.


METHODS
This experimental work was conducted on 5 groups of Wistar rats. Group I was the control group. Diabetes type 1 was induced in other groups (by streptozotocin) and animals received insulin or vitamin E (300 mg /kg body weight), both insulin and vitamin E, or no treatment for 4 weeks according to their group. At the end of the study, serum and cardiac tissues were examined for biochemical parameters of cardiac function, oxidative stress and apoptosis. Electron microscopy pictures of cardiac tissue were also evaluated for signs of cardiac damage


RESULTS
Markers of oxidative stress, apoptosis, inflammation as well as manifestations of cardiac damage as assessed by electron microscopy were significantly decreased in rats treated with both insulin and vitamin E when compared with untreated diabetic rats or rats treated with either insulin or vitamin E alone


CONCLUSIONS
Administration of both vitamin E and insulin was effective in reducing markers of oxidative stress and apoptosis and improving parameters of cardiac function in experiments animals. Antioxidants might prove beneficial as an adjuvant treatment in addition to insulin in type 1 diabetes associated with manifestations of cardiac complications.
Dallak
Mohammad M
MM
Physiology Department, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia.
Mikhailidis
Dimitri P
DP
Haidara
Mohamed A
MA
Bin-Jaliah
Ismaeel M
IM
Tork
Olaa M
OM
Rateb
Moshira A
MA
Yassin
Hanaa Z
HZ
Al-Refaie
Zeinb A
ZA
Ibrahim
Ibrahim M
IM
Elawa
Samy M
SM
Rashed
Laila A
LA
Afifi
Noha A
NA